Entitlement Free Children

​Dear Parent,I’m sorry that your child didn’t make it into the district running/tennis/debating/chess/etc… team, however, they were simply not good enough.Please don’t attack me, it is not a personal decision, it is a decision based on data, facts and observations – your child simply didn’t make it on the team this time.This is not my fault, please don’t blame me, I have sacrificed my own time to train any and all students who wanted to try out for the team. I volunteer to provide a service, but your child was simply not good enough to make the cut this time.Please don’t attack the students who did make the team, they deserve to be there, they train harder, they sacrifice fun activities, they work hard, they are tired, they are sore but they show persistence, determination, strength and these are qualities I want on my team. What extra training did your child do?Each and every child has a special gift, clearly this particular interest/sport/skill is not where your child shines. Perhaps instead of trying to push others out, you could support your child in helping them find their own area to shine.If I did replace one of the team members with your child, how is that replaced child supposed to excel at what they are good at? They may have missed their only opportunity because you insisted that your mediocre child be part of the team at the expense of someone who actually deserves to be there.Dear Parent, I will not sacrifice a valued member of the team because your child “really wanted” to be on the team. Dear Parent, please do not threaten me with your words. Dear Parent, please take this opportunity to teach your child how to be gracious. Dear Parent, please take this opportunity for you and your child to build some resilience as we don’t always get what we “really want” especially at the expense of others.Yours Sincerely,The debating/running/chess/sport teacher.